Year's tourism target stays despite blast at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine

[webfact]

Year's tourism target stays despite blast
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- WHILE A SENIOR official's worst-case scenario after the deadly bomb blast at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine last week is that Thai tourism could lose up to 1 million international arrivals and income of Bt70 billion in the event of a further attack, official full-year projections for the sector remain unchanged.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said yesterday that international arrivals had dropped from 85,000 per day before the blast at Ratchaprasong Intersection to 70,000 per day this week, blamed on concerns about safety.

Since the incident, 3,000-4,000 business travellers have cancelled plans to attend meetings and conferences at hotels near the intersection.

"If there is more violence within the next three months, the country would seem likely to lose 1 million tourists and foreign income of Bt70 billion [this year]," she said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is evaluating the impact on the sector from the Erawan Shrine blast, but believes the country could lose even more visitors - up to 2 million - if there were to be a second attack.

Kobkarn, however, said the official projections for this year remained unchanged, with the country aiming for 28.8 million tourists and Bt2.2 trillion in income from the domestic and international markets.

During the past week, foreign-tourist arrivals have declined by 7 per cent compared with past trends, said Areepong Bhoocha-oom, Tourism and Sports Ministry permanent secretary. He expects this number to fluctuate during the next two weeks.

Looking at a longer period, however, tourist arrivals between August 1 and 23 totalled 2.1 million, some 31.6 per cent higher than in the same period last year, he said.

"The ministry and related agencies will join forces to initiate more than 30 marketing events to reclaim tourists to the country in the remaining months of the year," he added.

Meanwhile, other measures have been added, including innovative technologies that have been developed for safety and security purposes, increased surveillance-camera installations at corners and blind spots, and a higher number of security forces - both in uniform and plain clothes - to survey and monitor certain areas, said the official.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau yesterday said it would move to reinforce the 2015 partnership programme under Thailand's "MICE United II" campaign with the hosting of the "Thailand Connect the World: China MICE Commemorative Dinner 2015", to be held on September 17 in the Chinese city of Shanghai.

The event is a marketing and public-relations activity under the strategic campaign, in collaboration with nine public and private organisations, with a view to reinvigorating the Kingdom's positive image and position as a gateway to Asean, especially as the region is moving toward the implementation of the Asean Economic Community at the end of this year, said the bureau.

Meanwhile, Kobkarn said her ministry was joining forces with two global tourism bodies - the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) of the United Nations - to restore tourism in the Kingdom.

David Scowsill, president and chief executive officer of the WTTC, said last week's lethal bomb blast in the Ratchaprasong area would have a short-term impact on Thai tourism.

However, the sector is expected to rebound during the high season, as the country has some of world's most beautiful attractions that have captivated millions of tourists for many years, he said.

Carlos Vogeler, director-executive secretary of member relations at the UNWTO, echoed these sentiments.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Years-tourism-target-stays-despite-blast-30267521.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-27

[BigBadGeordie]

But the World Press is telling a very different story, as in, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11825266/Bangkok-bombing-hits-Thailand-tourism.html

"But data from ForwardKeys, which tracks over 14 million travel bookings a day, suggests otherwise. Its data for the five days after the bombing compared to the same period in 2014 showed bookings to Thailand down 65 per cent and business travel from China tanking 350 per cent."

So who do you trust, an independant world press or ............?

[NongKhaiKid]

Right You Lot, Listen In,

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, ever affects Thai tourism !

Right, fall out and dust your medals.

[Fat Haggis]

But the World Press is telling a very different story, as in, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11825266/Bangkok-bombing-hits-Thailand-tourism.html

"But data from ForwardKeys, which tracks over 14 million travel bookings a day, suggests otherwise. Its data for the five days after the bombing compared to the same period in 2014 showed bookings to Thailand down 65 per cent and business travel from China tanking 350 per cent."

So who do you trust, an independant world press or ............?

or djjamie with his FACTS .. hey

[MZurf]

Another believable prediction from the Ministry of Tall Tales!

BTW, who are the two farang suits behind her? Are they her spin doctors?

[thesetat2013]

But the World Press is telling a very different story, as in, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11825266/Bangkok-bombing-hits-Thailand-tourism.html

"But data from ForwardKeys, which tracks over 14 million travel bookings a day, suggests otherwise. Its data for the five days after the bombing compared to the same period in 2014 showed bookings to Thailand down 65 per cent and business travel from China tanking 350 per cent."

So who do you trust, an independant world press or ............?

Let's not forget that it was just released this week that there is already a 5% drop in tourism this year. How they can make claims that 70b thb loss will not effect their quota I don't know. Seems to me that such a huge loss along with an already steep drop in tourism would surely make the total projection lower.

[jerojero]

Who cares about targets! Pontificating to the media repeatedly at nauseum about the targets, plans, promises... blah...blah...bah. Please make it stop!

[ToddinChonburi]

So now they hired some white boy's to help with the spin. Maybe they work for CNN .

[klauskunkel]

Year's tourism target stays despite blast

Absolutely correct. Tourists were targeted in the blast. Therefore tourism stays a target.

[BigBadGeordie]

But the World Press is telling a very different story, as in, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11825266/Bangkok-bombing-hits-Thailand-tourism.html

"But data from ForwardKeys, which tracks over 14 million travel bookings a day, suggests otherwise. Its data for the five days after the bombing compared to the same period in 2014 showed bookings to Thailand down 65 per cent and business travel from China tanking 350 per cent."

So who do you trust, an independant world press or ............?

or djjamie with his FACTS .. hey

Reuters, independant media, social media, comic strips, Cartoon Network, Nikelodian or djjamie........let me reflect on that for a while;-)

[upena]

MOTS and TAT also reported 1,000,000 visitors in 10 days after the last millionth was 9 days. All this during low, monsoon season with a bomb added to the mix.

[mike324]

But the World Press is telling a very different story, as in, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11825266/Bangkok-bombing-hits-Thailand-tourism.html

"But data from ForwardKeys, which tracks over 14 million travel bookings a day, suggests otherwise. Its data for the five days after the bombing compared to the same period in 2014 showed bookings to Thailand down 65 per cent and business travel from China tanking 350 per cent."

So who do you trust, an independant world press or ............?

I would say the data quoted in World Press is not exactly a good representation of total tourist arrivals, data correctly reflects temporary booking trends. They quoted data from ForwardKeys which takes its data from hotels that uses its software. I'm sure booking is down, but that is only data from 5 days after the booking where most people have held off from booking while assessing the situation.

Thailand they are quoting total tourist arrivals, while the article is quoting a 5 day period. You are comparing apples to oranges. There will probably be lower tourist arrivals, but not as much as whats quoted in the article.

[little mary sunshine]

If you believe this please purchase

My wonderful waterfront property

In the Florida Everglades

[Kannikapor88]

Another believable prediction from the Ministry of Tall Tales!

BTW, who are the two farang suits behind her? Are they her spin doctors?

Maybe they are from German Wings (Lufthansa) - they could fit in good here with the compensations they offer to their dead costumers ...

[Emster23]

Um, maybe I'm just a bit thick, but how does one come up with "bookings down 350%"? Could it mean 100% off (aka 0) new bookings and 2.5 times previous level of bookings from China now cancelled?

""If there is more violence within the next three months, the country would seem likely to lose 1 million tourists and foreign income of Bt70 billion [this year]," she said."

Almost like issuing an invitation I reckon, although bombers probably smart enough to already know that. They don't have to be genius level, just smarter than those chasing them.

[thesetat2013]

If you believe this please purchase

My wonderful waterfront property

In the Florida Everglades

Are we neighbors? I have been trying to sell my waterfront property there for years